Lingtian Middle School.
Shen Congwu and Lin Zhennan nearly jumped for joy.
"We won! I knew we could win!"
If it were merely Wu Liang defeating Lei Jiao, it wouldn't have been enough to cause them such excitement.
But this was a clash of titans, a chaotic battle between martial artists and magical beasts.
This battle would determine their ranking in the subsequent martial arts exams, and Ling Qingxue would definitely rank above Xuan Tianwen.
"A place in the top three is already secured. Now, it all depends on how powerful Liu Fufeng and Beiming Yan are," Lin Zhennan exclaimed excitedly.
Shen Congwu laughed heartily. "Taotie is best at battles with opponents who surpass its level. With two months left, it might break through to the Third Rank peak, and at that time, even the Golden Sacred Dragon might not be its match!"
Among the many prodigious players in this year's lot, Xuan Tianwen and Mu Bing were roughly equal in strength, each having a chance to compete for third place, but now, they could only vie for fourth place.
Liu Fufeng and Beiming Yan were far stronger, and their magical beasts both possessed the high-level bloodline of divine beasts.
Golden Dragon and Northern Sea Kunpeng—it seemed unlikely that Wu Liang could defeat them now.
But two months later, victory was not impossible!
With the advantage of level and Wu Liang's explosive power, his chances of winning were quite considerable.
...
In the dormitory, Wu Liang looked at Ling Qingxue with a smug expression.
One against two, and he even swallowed one opponent whole to finish the fight—that ending was incredibly cool!
"See? I said I would win, and I did! I'll definitely be number one in the martial arts exam!"
"Yeah, you're very strong," Ling Qingxue said calmly.
"That's it? Do you even know how to praise someone?!" Wu Liang said, slightly displeased.
"You're a beast, not a human."
Wu Liang was speechless.
Well, for now, he's still a beast.
Gaining power came at a price, like his current relinquishment of human form to become a magical beast.
"By the way, Little Xuexue, after activating my bloodline, I seem to have gained a new power," Wu Liang said.
"Is it the power of slaughter?"
Wu Liang nodded slightly. "That's right. I've discovered that the stronger my killing intent, the stronger my power of slaughter becomes. Moreover, this power greatly enhances me, even temporarily boosting my willpower, allowing me to be exceptionally focused in battle."
"The Four Fiends all possess this power. It's a power accumulated through endless slaughter. You currently only control this power through your bloodline. Once you fully master it, the power of slaughter will be even stronger, perhaps even materializing."
"Is it the same as your Sword Intent?" Wu Liang continued to ask.
"Similar, but not entirely the same. Both belong to martial will, but Sword Intent is a product of weapon skill reaching its peak, while the power of slaughter is a product of spiritual will."
This explanation was enough for Wu Liang to grasp the concept.
The power of slaughter was indeed useful, like a buff that, once activated, brought extreme excitement and a corresponding increase in explosive power.
Moreover, his devouring power was highly advantageous in cultivating the power of slaughter.
Wu Liang could absorb the killing intent of his opponents, thereby increasing his own killing intent and thus enhancing his power of slaughter.
He had acquired mastery of the power of slaughter after devouring a large number of hybrids.
A short while later, Ling Qingxue left.
She needed to level up as quickly as possible; otherwise, if she didn't break through by the time Wu Liang finished digesting the corpses of the Ninth Protector of the Beast King Cult, the energy would be wasted.
Then, Wu Liang would complain about her slow breakthrough speed again.
Watching Ling Qingxue resume cultivation immediately after defeating Xuan Tianwen, Chen Feng felt utterly defeated.
Qin Hongyan stole his title as the "Liver Emperor*," and now another genius was getting in his way...
"Doesn't she get tired? Although the Virtual Mirror is all virtual, experiencing a great battle still takes a mental toll. She should relax a bit at times like this."
"What do you know? There's no such thing as a smooth road. It's all about carrying heavy burdens behind the scenes. You think Ling Qingxue got to where she is in a small town because of her heaven-defying cultivation talent?"
"Um, wasn't she?"
Zhou Weiwei scoffed. "Your vision is too short-sighted. While Spiritual Master cultivation does require talent, the arrangement, combination, and even disassembly of spirit formations are entirely acquired through practice. Ling Qingxue can instantly arrange spirit formations and even break limits. It's unimaginable how hard she works behind the scenes. All the geniuses I've seen have to call her a master genius!"
The group felt a chill run down their spines.
Little did they know, Ling Qingxue's ability was entirely due to her experience from her previous life.
In other words, she wasn't a genius; she was simply continuing the same path she had come from.
If she were a novice, her cultivation speed would likely be far slower than Zhou Weiwei and the others'.
In the Spirit Gathering Room.
Ling Qingxue was absorbing the rich energy to nourish her vital energy, her aura gradually increasing.
Before her lay a yellowish-brown crystal, obtained in exchange for the Nanchuan Token.
It was a Thick Earth Source Crystal, a Heaven-grade refining treasure. A single Thick Earth Rock Crystal vein had an extremely low probability of producing even one!
Moreover, it contained the essence of the Thick Earth Spirit, making it excellent material for her cultivation of the 'One Thousand Sources Return to One' technique.
"Refining the Spirit of Thick Earth will allow me to immediately reach the Second Rank peak, but I'm not sure I can reach the Third Rank early-stage within two months."
After digesting the corpse of the Ninth Protector of the Beast King Cult, Wu Liang had a high probability of directly breaking through to the Fourth Level early-stage.
At that time, she might be holding him back, forcing him to only break through to the Third Rank peak…
A martial artist's breakthrough speed could hardly keep up with the Taotie; even the most talented couldn't.
"Never mind, breaking through one level is better than nothing!"
Ling Qingxue immediately activated the 'One Thousand Sources Return to One' technique, and the illusory furnace reappeared within her body.
The Thick Earth Source Crystal, as if drawn by a force, began to levitate, dust swirling as it transformed into a yellowish-brown Thick Earth Spirit that entered her body.
The silver and red hues flowing beneath her skin began to coalesce into a third color representing the Thick Earth Spirit.
...
For several days in a row, Ling Qingxue focused on refining the Thick Earth Spirit.
Lin Zhennan, who had already left Lingtian Middle School, suddenly returned, his expression tinged with worry.
Seeing this, Shen Congwu looked puzzled.
"Director Lin, what's wrong? Are you in trouble?"
Lin Zhennan frowned deeply. "The Governor is injured, and it's very serious. I need to see Qingxue."
"Ah? How can Qingxue, a mere Second Rank martial artist, help the Governor? He should have consulted Doctor Li. He's the most skilled doctor in Nanchuan Province."
"I already saw him, but even Doctor Li couldn't help."
Hearing this, Shen Congwu was shocked.
Doctor Li was renowned throughout Nanchuan Province for his superb medical skills. He could even heal the injuries of a King Rank expert. How come even he couldn't cure the governor?
But just a short while ago, Hong Lie was presenting an award to Ling Qingxue at Lingtian Middle School.
It hadn't even been half a month, so how could he be so seriously injured!
"What kind of injury is that? The governor is a King Rank expert!" Shen Congwu asked urgently.
"A soul injury. For a while, the governor could suppress it with his powerful spiritual strength, but as time went on, the injury not only didn't lessen, but it actually worsened. Now, the governor has been unconscious for half a day!"